WORKING HANDS: Jarren Crouch

As a stationery brand, we are always curious how and what people use our stationery goods for. With this blog series, focusing on the hands at "work" and beyond, we ask five questions about the usage and meaning of the stationery tools to our friends in Los Angeles.

For the twenty first WORKING HANDS, we visited Jarren, an LA based musician and producer at his home and studio in East LA.

Jarren Crouch in a green tee and blue cap, writing in a notebook at a desk with a monitor and speaker.

Q1. How do you use your Hightide planner, hourglass, and stainless glasses case?  

I use the Hightide planner to track deadlines & keep my week organized. If It's not written down, it's not happening!

Jarren Crouch seen from behind in a cap, working at a home studio desk with monitor speakers, screen and keyboards.

Hands writing with a black pen in an open ruled notebook with a red bookmark, on a wooden desk.

I keep the hourglass handy at my desk & use it to time scrolling breaks when I'm feeling fatigued.

Amber glass hourglass and a navy zip pouch on a black desk stand, with a car wash card below.

The Stainless glasses case stays in my work bag storing my frames & lens cleaner.

Hands opening a pale yellow Storage Caddy on a wooden desk beside a glass of water, coasters and a planner.

Q2. In our online / tech driven world, what does it mean to do things by hand to you?  

Doing things by hand to me means engaging in activities that technology cannot fully replicate. These include writing notes with a pen or playing the piano, where the human touch and unique qualities are irreplaceable.

Hands unzipping a small navy pouch at a desk beside a white keyboard and open notebook.

Hands holding open a small navy zippered pouch containing a PNY USB drive, above a desk with a keyboard.

Jarren uses his penco Double Door Purse – he keeps his cash on one side and USB drives for his music for the other side.

Q3. Pen or pencil?  

Pen for writing & pencil for sketching. Rarely pencil these days.  

Wooden desk with a keyboard, ruled notebook, black pen and a frosted pencil case holding pens and markers.

Q4. What’s in your pen case, if you don’t use a pen case, how do you organize and store your stationeries?

 I currently use a ceramic cup a friend gifted me to store my assortment of Hightide & MUJI pens. It’s nearly 10 years old and always has a place on my desk.  

Hands opening a black pen case at a desk, beside a mouse and a cup of pens under a Panama flag.

Jarren uses the Gadget Rest-stand in black for his phone. In the back, he keeps writing tools in a hand-mad ceramic cup. The flag of Panama, Jarren's family roots, is peeking out as well.

Q5. What is your most favorite stationery?

For reasons mentioned earlier, my favorite stationery item is my 2024 Hightide planner. I’ve been buying them for a few years now. My current one has survived multiple water spills.

Black Minute Manager Schedule Indicator 2024 planner on a wood desk, with a hand holding a pen beside a keyboard.

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Jarren Crouch is an LA based musician and producer. He's released his album Antera in 2021, and appears on Apron Japan Vol.1 from London based label, Apron Records. Look out for future events and happenings by Jarren here !